Kidash Zek
by Cere
Summary: A new enemy appears that has magical powers.
1. Part I

**Kidash Zek: Part I  
By Cere**

It was a cold night. Clouds rolled over the moon, casting shadows on New York City. A man walked along and pulled his long, black coat tighter around him. He did not pay attention to the cars on the street, or seem to notice the people he passed. His black hair was ruffled by the wind, but he did not mind. His mind was set on one thing, and his eyes finally saw what they were looking for.

He walked up to the door and put his face against it, but could see nothing inside. A few moments of futile searching, and he gave up. He would have to use a prect. He reached into his coat pocket and brought out a small, winged insect. Grasping the prect tightly in his hand, he searched along the bottom of the door until he found a place where it could squeeze through. He released it, and it scampered under the door.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he curled up against the door and muttered the word of binding. Anyone passing by would have thought he was asleep, but in reality, his mind was joined with the insect. After taking a few seconds to orient himself, he jumped off the ground and flew about the room. The insect mind wanted to find food, but he suppressed the animal urge. There would be time for that later.

He went from room to room, glancing at every object, but not finding what he wanted. Just exhibit after exhibit of worthless junk. Then a glimmer of moonlight caught his eye. Moving towards it, he saw the light was reflecting off something. It was a sword. The sword! The Relic! He had found it!

He quickly brought his delight under control, remembering that emotion is the enemy of self-control. He said the word of unbinding and returned to his own body. After stretching his muscles, he left to report to his superiors. He regretted leaving the prect inside, for they were only used in the most important missions and were hard to breed. But that would soon change. Besides, he could pick it up when he came back.

* * *

"Hey, watch it!" Donatello shouted as the basketball bounced off his head. "I'm working here!"

"Sorry," said Michaelangelo.

"I'm starting to regret installing that basketball hoop," said Don.

"C'mon, Don," Mike said. "Hey, cool. I made a rhyme. I'm a poet and I didn't know it."

Don just rolled his eyes and turned back to the computer screen.

"You know," said Mike, "you could use some exercise yourself. All you do is stare at the computer all day."

"I would rather exercise my mental muscle," retorted Don. "Besides, I'm doing more than just staring at it. I'm writing a complicated computer program."

"What's it do?"

"Something you wouldn't understand."

"Like what?"

Don sighed. "Like scanning to detect the specific thermal signature of our mutant bodies."

Mike looked confused. "In English, please?" he asked.

"It's a mutant turtle tracker," Don said.

"Why didn't you say that the first time?"

Don said nothing and returned to his work. Raphael walked out of his room and stretched his arms. "What's Don doing?" he asked.

"Staring at the computer," Mike said.

"Programming it to detect the specific thermal signature of our mutant bodies!" Don corrected loudly.

"Whatever," said Raph. "Where's Leo?"

"Falling asleep," said Mike.

"Meditating with Master Splinter," Don corrected again.

"What are you doing, Mike?" Raph asked.

"Shooting hoops," Mike replied, "and annoying Don."

"And about to get his butt kicked for it!" Don interrupted, which prompted Mike to throw the ball at him. Don blocked it and sent it sailing away from him. "Go fetch," he said.

"Hey!" yelled Mike.

Raph decided he didn't want to stay around and see how this turned out.

* * *

"Clear your mind," said Splinter, "and relax. Let your inner self reach outward."

Leonardo sat still and followed his master's instructions. He felt peace center in his mind. He continued for a few moments, until he felt a disturbance.

His eyes shot open and his trance was broken, but the feeling lingered on. It felt of hate, fear, and pain. He looked at Splinter, who was looking back at him.

"You have felt it, too," Splinter said. It wasn't a question.

"Is that what you told me about?" Leo asked.

Splinter closed his eyes in thought. "I first felt it a couple days ago. Since then it has grown stronger."

"Can the others feel it?"

"In their own way."

Leo was about to ask what this meant when Raph burst in. "Raph, what are you doing?" he asked, annoyed at the interruption.

"I was bored," Raph replied. "I was wondering what you were doing."

"Raph, you know you're not supposed to barge in while we're meditating."

Raph held his hands up in surrender and said, "Okay, I'm sorry, Leo." He turned and walked out of the room. "If you need me, I'll be doing something useful with my time."

Leo got up and rushed after Raph. "Meditation is useful," he said.

"Yeah, whatever," said Raph.

Leo grabbed him by the arm and pulled him around so they stood face to face. "Meditation allows us to calm our mind and escape the pressures of life," he said.

"It's Greek to me," Raph said.

"Maybe it wouldn't be if you concentrated more."

"Maybe I just don't care."

"That's your problem. Your attitude. You need to stop being so negative."

"Why don't you just shut up! It's seems like all you ever do is talk all day. This leadership thing has gone to your head." With that comment, Raph stormed off.

"Jeez, Raph," Mike said, "who shoved a cactus up your-"

In a flash, Raph pulled out a sai and flung it across the room into Mike's basketball. The air rushed out and it collapsed into a rubber heap on the floor.

"Hey!" Mike shouted.

"You deserved it," Raph said.

This started a loud verbal argument between all the Turtles. Splinter walked to the door, inspected the situation, and then shouted, "Enough!" Everyone was silent and waited for Splinter to continue. "What is going on here?" he asked.

Mike pointed at Raph. "He popped my basketball."

"Then he will buy a new one," Splinter said.

"But Master-" Raph started.

"No buts," said Splinter. He looked at each of his students. "All of you have been irritable lately. You have tried to get rid of this feeling by taking it out on your brothers. This will not work! You need to cope with it in a better way." He paused to let this sink in. "And you also need to take responsibility for your actions. This means, Raphael, you will buy a new basketball for your brother."

With some grumbling, Raph agreed to get a new ball. He picked up his sai before putting on his trenchcoat and going to the world above. Everyone else found something else to do.

* * *

Raph walked along the streets grumbling to himself. Though he hated to admit it, Splinter was right. He had been grumpier than usual lately. He didn't understand why, but it seemed like something was weighing down on him. It wasn't a feeling he liked.

He was about to cross the street when he noticed someone was following him. Just what I need, he thought. He turned to walk down the street, and the man did the same. He stopped to admire something in a store window, and his follower also stopped. Raph examined the guy. He had black hair and a long black coat. The man also wore black boots.

Raph started walking again at a faster pace, and the man adjusted to keep up. Raph took a few random turns, knowing he wouldn't get lost in New York, but the man followed every time. Finally, Raph turned into an alley and faced the entrance, waiting for the man to come.

He never did. Raph heard a sound behind him and turned to see what it was. He only had time to glimpse the grinning face before a flash of red light blinded him. He felt like hands were probing through his brain, and thousands of images flashed before his eyes. In a few seconds, it was over. Raph was standing alone in the alley.

Was he crazy? Had what he thought had happened really happened? He couldn't explain it. Maybe he had hallucinated or something. Anyway, he pushed it out of his mind. He left the alley and went to buy Mike's stupid basketball.

* * *

Two robed figures sat in a dark room. The only small light came from a blue fire in a lamp on the table between them. Both had their hoods drawn over their heads.

"You believe he was powerful?" asked one of them, the red mark on his robe showing he was a Lower Servant.

"He had much energy in him," the other said, his plain robe showing he was merely a Minion. "More than the others."

"Perhaps he could work for us," speculated the Lower Servant.

"He had the inferior mindset," said the Minion.

"A shame. You said there was one other interesting characteristic?"

"He had an animal shape. A turtle."

The Lower Servant sat back and thought. "What sort of power could have brought this about?"

"I was unable to determine, though I did sense there are others."

"Could they be a threat to us?"

"They do not know our ways."

"Good."

"I also planted a seed."

"Then you have done good work. Now, prepare for tonight."

"For the Relic?" the Minion asked, excitement in his voice.

"Yes. We are finally able to begin the Mission and start our return to power. It will be a glorious day. Now go. Prepare for the Mission."

The Minion left, leaving the other to ponder the new information.

* * *

Raph was standing on a stone platform that hovered in midair. Around him the sky was fire, but he felt ice cold. Behind the fire he could hear voices, all of them chanting one word. "Inferior." Over and over, the same word. He knew they were talking to him. Millions of voices were saying he was inferior. He wanted to scream, but he couldn't. He could only stand there and listen to the voices, over and over and over and…

He woke with up panting and sweaty. It was only a nightmare, he told himself. Nothing to be afraid of. But he couldn't shake that feeling. He lay down and tried to go back to sleep, and when he did, he had the nightmare again.

* * *

The next morning, Raph had a pounding headache. He had hardly slept that night, and when he did, he had that nightmare. Therefore, he wasn't too thrilled when Mike popped in his face. "Cheer up, Raph," he said. "Put a smile on your face. It's a beautiful day and-"

"Can it," Raph said sharply. "I'm not in the mood."

Mike walked away and turned on the TV, muttering something about waking up on the wrong side of the bed. Raph didn't care. He just wanted this stupid headache to stop!

His thoughts were interrupted by Mike. "Dudes, check this out!"

All four Turtles gathered around the TV to watch April. "The interesting thing about the burglary," she was saying, "was the means of entry. Police believe they entered through a skylight that was found with the glass apparently melted out of it. Police are puzzled as to how this could have been done.

"Another curious fact is that only one object was stolen: a several-thousand-year-old sword, one of the least valuable exhibits in the museum.

"So far the police have no idea who could have done this. No security camera footage was taken during the crime, because the cables had been chewed on. The only lead is a symbol painted in red on where the sword used to rest. It is of a goblet with a sword stuck in it."

"Weird," said Mike. "Why go to all that trouble to steal a worthless sword?"

"It must have some personal significance," Leo replied.

"I wonder what that symbol means," said Don.

Raph said nothing. When he saw the symbol, his headache flared. Clutching his forehead, he walked away.

"Where are you going?" asked Leo.

"To find some Tylenol," Raph answered. "I've got a killer headache."

* * *

The Lower Servant stood in front of the Gateway, holding the Relic in his hand. The first step of the Mission was completed. The inferiors would never suspect a thing. The prect had disabled the security camera, and a simple firespell was all they needed to enter the building. After that, they had quickly taken the Relic and left only their Symbol to show they had been there.

Now the Lower Servant stood there, holding the Sword in his hands. His fingers felt the writing on the hilt. The Mission had been started. Soon they would locate the other Relics, and after that…

He smiled and stepped through the outlined blackness into Navand.

* * *

Raph tossed and turned in bed. He muttered silent curses and glanced at the clock. It was 5:30, and he had barely slept. Whenever he did, he had that same nightmare. Whenever he was awake, he had that pounding headache. He turned over again and fell asleep.

There was just blackness. It was a relief from his previous nightmares. But then a sword flashed in the darkness. A voice cried, "I summon you, great Zek. Send forth your power!" Then out of the darkness came…monsters!

Raph shot up in bed, the image still fresh in his mind. They had been jet black and insect-like. They walked upright on four legs, and their arms were like a praying mantis's, only sharper. Only one thought was in their mind: destruction.

Raph decided he didn't like this dream any better.

* * *

Finally, morning came. Raph's head hurt worse than ever, and it felt like he had a fever. I'd better not be sick, he thought as he walked into the kitchen. He expected some idiotic remark from Mike, but he just stared back at him. "What are you looking at?" Raph asked.

"What's that on your forehead?" Mike asked, sounding worried.

Raph looked at a mirror and stared at his forehead in shock. On it was the symbol of the sword and goblet that had been at the crime scene yesterday. It was glowing bright red.

to be continued...


	2. Part II

**Kidash Zek: Part II  
By Cere**

Raph stood there staring at the glowing symbol on his forehead. "Where did that come from?" he finally said.

"Where'd what come from?" asked Don behind him. Raph turned to show him it.

"Weird," said Mike.

"Isn't that the symbol from that robbery?" Don asked.

"I'd say so," said Leo. "Don, did you find any information about it?"

"Hey, shouldn't we be worried about me?" Raph shouted.

Don ignored him. "I've e-mailed several experts, but I haven't gotten a response yet."

"I doubt any 'expert' would recognize it," said Splinter. The Turtles turned to face him.

"Do you know what it is?" Raph asked.

Splinter sat in a chair. The Turtles did the same. "I did not think the legend was real," he said. "It seems I was wrong."

"What legend, Master?" Leo asked.

"During one of my journeys while I was still a man, I came across another traveler," Splinter explained. "He was very sick, and his fever apparently was affecting his mind. He insisted on telling me his story. He said he was the last of the Saheer, an ancient race of people opposed to the Kidash Zek. Kidash Zek means 'followers of Zek.' Zek was their god, and a source of great power."

"That name is familiar," Raph interrupted. "I heard it in a dream."

"Raph, let him talk," Don said.

"You shall have to tell us your dream," Splinter said. "But first, the rest of the story. The Kidash Zek ruled over their people with an iron fist, treating their subjects more like slaves. They considered all other beings to be inferior. They believed that they were specially chosen by Zek.

"Fortunately, their kingdom was enclosed in the mountains, keeping them from spreading. But one day, they found a way to escape. Then they met the Saheer. There was a war between the two. The Saheer won, and Zek was trapped in another dimension. The Kidash Zek were scattered and their subjects were freed.

"However, the Kidash Zek eventually regrouped and hunted down the Saheer. This man was the only one left. He gave me his story, and also told me that the only way Zek could be freed was if a certain four objects were brought together. He commanded me to continue the fight against them, and died later that night.

"Since then, I have tried to find some information that verifies his story, but so far have failed. I have never forgotten this story, even though it seemed like the ravings of a madman. I thought there was some kernel of truth in his story."

"What does this have to do about me?" Raph asked.

"Their symbol is on your forehead," Splinter replied. He stood and walked over to Raph. "Apparently, you have been put under a spell." He placed his hand on Raph's head and said a few unrecognizable words. The mark faded away. "Fortunately, the man taught me a way to break such a spell."

To Raph, it felt like a cloud had been lifted from his mind. His headache was gone, and he could think clearer. "That's much better," he said.

"That's good to hear," Splinter said. "Now, tell us about your dream."

Raph told them the two dreams he had had the past few days, and also the strange incident that had happened a couple nights ago. "It seems," Splinter said, "that you ran into one of the Kidash Zek."

"What would they be doing in New York?" Raph asked.

"Let me guess," said Leo. "The stolen sword was one of the four objects."

"I don't know," said Splinter. "I was never told what the four objects were. He merely referred to them as Relics."

"And I suppose a goblet would be another," Leo said. "But what about the other two."

"We can only guess," said Splinter.

"Whatever it is," Mike said, "it's probably really old."

"Mike's on to something," said Don. "If we could find out the approximate age of the stolen sword, then we could search for other objects of similar age. A quick search on the internet should do the job."

"Get to it, bro," said Leo.

"I will," said Don. He tried to start up his computer. "Uh-oh."

"That doesn't sound good," said Leo.

"It doesn't want to boot up," explained Don.

"Meaning?" asked Mike.

"Meaning I'll have to fix it first," answered Don.

"How long will that take?" asked Leo.

Don thought for a moment. "I'll get it done probably by tonight."

"Great," said Raph. "Now what do we do?"

"We wait," said Leo. "They aren't going to make their move until nightfall. We'll be ready by then."

* * *

Five Minions were on the roof of the museum, the third one they had visited that night. Their black outfits made them hard to distinguish in the darkness. One of them knelt next to the skylight and focused his firespell to make a small hole in the glass. When he was finished, he released a prect inside and binded with it. After a few minutes of searching, he located the Relic. He told the prect to disable the security cameras, then unbinded and turned to his companions. "It's here," he said.

"Do you think it will be as easy this time?" asked a Minion.

"We can never tell," said the kneeling one. "But if not, we have help." He motioned to the black shapes behind them.

The prect came back to them, signaling its work was done. The kneeling one stood, and widened his firespell to include the whole skylight. In seconds, the glass was gone. They dropped down into the museum.

* * *

"It's done," Don said. The Turtles gathered around his computer to watch. Don was about to start his search when something else caught his eye. "What's this?"

"What's what?" Mike asked while Don opened a program.

"We don't have time to waste, Don," Raph said.

"It's my thermal scanning program," Don explained. "It's found a new thermal signature."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Raph asked impatiently.

"Something weird is in New York," Don said. "Some creature unlike anything else." He looked at the screen some more. "We should probably check it out."

"Why can't it wait until later?" Raph asked. For some reason, he had thought of the creatures in his dream.

"We might not get a chance later," Don said. "Besides, whatever it is is on top of a museum. It may be connected to the Kidash Zek."

"But what if it isn't?" Raph asked.

"I say we should check it out," said Leo. Raph grumbled, but finally agreed. Soon, the Turtles were racing through the sewers towards the museum.

* * *

Looking around, the Minions quickly located the Goblet. They were about to take it when a voice shouted, "Stop!" They turned to see a guard walking towards them, his gun pointed at them. One of the Minions quickly focused a windspell on a nearby statue. The guard ducked as it soared over his head. Meanwhile, a Minion used an icespell to freeze the guard's gun, and another used a lightspell to blind the guard.

The guard was utterly confused. He had been attacked by a flying statue, his gun was covered in ice, and he had been blinded by a flash of red light. He turned and started to run, but was hit in the back of the head by another flying statue. One of the Minions checked to make sure the threat was vanquished.

* * *

The Turtles stood in front of the museum. "Now what?" Raph asked. "We can't exactly walk in, you know. The museum's closed."

"We'll climb the fire escape in back," Leo said.

Once on the roof, they looked around for any signs of Don's mysterious creatures. It wasn't long before Mike spotted the melted skylight. Looking through it, they could see five people below, dressed in the same all-black outfit as the person Raph had met. "What do you say?" Mike said. "Shall we crash a certain party?"

"Yes, let's," said Raph.

They dropped through and turned to face the surprised burglars. One of them had a goblet in his hand. "You know," said Raph, "I don't think that that cup belongs to you. So just put it down and no one will get hurt."

"You've got to be kidding," said Mike. "They're unarmed."

Right after he said this, one of the burglars said a strange word and a gust of wind knocked Mike back. The remaining Turtles took out their weapons and charged.

"Meet my bo," said Don, who swung it against the guy's head. He collapsed on the floor, and Don turned to face another one. This one said another curious word, and Don's bo erupted in flames. He instantly dropped the burning piece of wood. "You're paying for a new one," he said, and started trying to kick the guy.

Meanwhile, Raph stood facing someone else. "Who are you guys, anyway?" Raph asked.

"We are Minions," the man answered.

"What a wonderful title," Raph said.

"It's better than you, inferior," the Minion said

"I resent that," Raph said, and pointed a sai at him.

The Minion said a word, and Raph's feet were frozen to the floor. He cursed and started to chip at the ice with his sais, but the Minion kicked them away. Raph grabbed the man's legs and pulled them out from under him. He hit the ground hard. "One down," Raph said, but he was still stuck to the floor. "Leo, can I have a little help here?"

But Leo had his own problems. He was being attacked by a prect a Minion had thrown. When he turned to look at Raph, the prect ran hard into his face. While he was distracted, it landed on the back of his neck and bit him. He picked the insect off his neck and threw it away, but it came flying back. The Minion stood nearby and laughed at him.

"Be quiet," Leo said, and swiftly chopped the prect in half. The Minion stopped laughing long enough for Leo to smash the hilts of his swords against his head. The Minion fell to the floor.

He walked over to where Raph was still frozen to the floor. "Having fun?" Leo asked.

"Just break this ice, will you?" Raph said.

"Give me one reason why," Leo said.

Raph growled. "Because you're our righteous leader who helps out his teammates."

Though he didn't like the way Raph said it, Leo chopped the ice off Raph's feet. "Thank you," Raph said, and picked up his sais.

Mike had picked himself up and was facing another Minion. "You dudes don't seem to be holding up very well," Mike said.

"We'll see," said the Minion. Then he looked up at the skylight and shouted, "Drekkane!"

Four black shapes fell down. Raph gasped. They were the monsters from his dream! Each of them was several feet taller than the Turtles. Their bodies glistened black. They stood on four legs, which tapped against the floor. Their bodies were massive, and they flexed their arms as if itching to cut something. Their eyes were like black pits that swallowed up any light. They looked around, and then charged at the Turtles.

Mike jumped aside as a monster slashed its arm at him. The claw sunk into the wall. Mike stared as the creature tried to free its arm, then came to his senses and started beating on it with his nunchakus. They had no effect. "These things have armor on them!" he yelled.

"I know!" Raph shouted back. His sais couldn't penetrate it. Not even Leo's swords were having any effect. "What do we do, Leo?"

"I don't know," Leo said. "Do you have any ideas?"

"You mean you're actually going to listen to us?" said Raph, pretending to sound shocked.

"It's not like I've never listened to you guys before," Leo said.

"Sometimes I wonder," Raph said.

"Will both of you shut up?" Don shouted. Since he had no weapon, he was forced to try to avoid the creature's attacks. "Something tells me we've found that mystery creature."

"No, really?" Raph said sarcastically.

"Leave him alone, Raph," Leo ordered.

"You can't boss me around," Raph said.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Dudes," Mike shouted, "they're getting away." Indeed, the Minions had taken the goblet and were using gusts of wind to propel themselves onto the roof. Mike started to follow them, but the creature aimed a blow at his shell, knocking him to the ground. Another of the creatures struck Don, throwing him against a wall. Leo and Raph could only watch as creatures used their wings to follow the Minions. Only the four Turtles were left in the room.

"Why didn't I see their wings before?" Raph asked no one in particular. "They would have been a weak spot."

"Not really," Don said. "They had protective covers on them, like a ladybug. Only I bet these were harder."

"Thanks for the explanation, Professor Genius," Raph said.

"Raph!"

"Dudes, over here!" Mike shouted. He was kneeling next to an unconscious Minion. "They left someone behind."

"A small consolation," said Leo. "Let's take him back to the lair."

* * *

Splinter was waiting for them when they came home. "My meditations were disturbed," he said. "How did you fare?"

"Not good," said Don.

"We got our butts kicked," said Raph.

"They seemed to know magic," explained Leo. "We were caught off guard. They also had backup."

"You must tell me later," said Splinter. "First, it seems you have brought home a captive."

"He called himself a Minion," Leo said. "He was left behind while the others escaped."

"If they were as powerful as you said, he was probably not simply 'left behind.'" Splinter said. "Bring him inside."

"I'll get some rope," Raph said.

The Minion awoke to find himself tied to a chair with all four Turtles staring at him. He started to say something, but Raph covered his mouth. "No strange words," Raph said, "or you get another lump on your head."

"You inferiors are fools to think you can win," the Minion said when he could speak again.

"I doubt it," Raph said. "If you don't mind, we'd like to ask you a few questions."

"I will not betray the Kidash Zek."

"We have ways of making you talk," Mike said in a menacing voice.

"What were those creatures?" Don asked.

"The Drekkane?" the Minion said. "A gift from the great Zek."

"I thought he was trapped," Leo said.

The Minion grinned. "With each Relic that is restored, the bonds are weakened."

"What are the other two Relics?" Raph asked.

"You are not worthy to know such information," the Minion replied.

Raph pulled out a sai and held it against the Minion's throat. "Do I care?"

"Raph, there are better ways," said Leo.

"Do I care?" Raph repeated.

"I think it's time you learned."

"I think you should shut up."

"I think you should come up with something new to say."

"I think you're a loser."

"I think it takes one to know one."

"I think you should stop arguing," Mike said.

"I think you're asking for a beating," Raph answered.

"Silence!" Splinter shouted.

"You see," the Minion said. "You are doomed to fail."

"You shut up, too!" Raph shouted.

But the Minion ignored him. He had fallen into a trance. The Turtles watched him warily. "You inferior fools," he said with his eyes still closed. "The second Relic is restored, and our power increases!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he broke the ropes that bound him. Before the Turtles could react, he spoke a word and a blast of wind pushed all of them back. The Minion ran out of the sewer, his laughter ringing behind him.

"Wonderful," Raph said. "Just wonderful."

to be continued...


	3. Part III

**Kidash Zek: Part III  
By Cere**

The Lower Servant sat in his chamber. The only light came from a blue fire in a lamp. He thought about last night. They had met their first resistance, and it had been from the animal-people. There had been four of them, and they had fought well. Apparently, the Kidash Zek had underestimated the capabilities of the inferiors. However, the animal-people also had been caught off guard by the Drekkane. And in the end, the second Relic had been restored and their power had been increased.

The "captured" Minion had returned. He had brought information of a rat-person also in existence. The animal-people knew of the imprisonment of the great Zek, yet they did not know the remaining two Relics. Also, their minds were wearing thin under the oppressive power of the great Zek. Because of their high energy levels, they were easily affected. They were no threat to the Mission.

The dark age was finally coming to an end. The Kidash Zek had been a powerful people, ruling a kingdom in the mountains. But when they finally found freedom from their prison, the Saheer had come. The great Zek had been trapped by their wretched magic, and the Kidash Zek had been scattered. But the Saheer should have known better than to think that the mighty Kidash Zek would just die away. They gradually gathered back together and formed the Mission, the plan to free the great Zek. The Saheer had been destroyed, and they began the search for the four Relics.

Fate was on their side, for it had brought all the Relics together in this place. Two had been recovered, the Sword and the Goblet, but two remained. With their increased power, they could easily find the others. With his heightened ability, he could feel the power emanating from the Relics. The next one would be recovered tonight, and the last one soon after. Then the great Zek would be released, and, now that they were out of the mountains, their rule could extend over the whole world!

* * *

Leonardo was the first to wake. He usually was, and he usually woke rested. But last night, his sleep had been disturbed. There had been something weighing down on his dreams. Looking back, he realized that this had been happening for the past couple of nights, and the feeling was growing stronger.

He got out of bed and went into the living room. He left the lights off, which helped him to concentrate. He also didn't want to wake the others. They needed their sleep after last night. Bad things were brewing, and if they were to combat the enemy, they would need to be well rested.

He thought of the recent events. He felt that the awful feeling was somehow connected to the Kidash Zek. The feeling had also invaded their meditations. He remembered Splinter saying that the others could feel it, too, in their own way. Perhaps this explained why recently they seemed to argue a lot more.

Yes, he had been arguing with Raph. They had always had their differences, but they never argued during a battle. The feeling that seemed to pervade everything had made him lose his cool. There was too much tension; it needed to be released.

Leo was brought out of his thoughts when the lights turned on. He turned to see Mike. "I'm sorry," Mike said. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Not at all," Leo said. "Come join me."

Mike sat next to Leo on the couch. "What's been happening to us lately?" Leo asked.

"Raph's been more disagreeable than usual," Mike said.

"But it's not just him," Leo said. "It's all of us."

Mike thought for a minute. "What can we do?"

"Maybe Splinter can help us."

"What would he do?"

"I don't know, but it's better than nothing. We've got to work out our differences."

"Now's not the best time for that."

"I know. We have some Relics to find."

"Do you think Don's internet search will work?"

"I hope so."

"What if it doesn't?"

"I don't know." Leo stared off into space. "I don't know."

* * *

Later, the Turtles were gathered around Don's computer. He had finished his internet search, and didn't look too happy with the results.

"Well," Don sighed, "I did manage to find one other object of similar age. It's a mask that's part of a visiting exhibit, which ends today. Tonight it will be brought by train back to Chicago."

"You only found one?" Mike asked.

"Only one," Don said. "The last Relic must either be in a museum not connected to the net or just plain not in a museum."

"Now what do we do?" Raph asked.

"We get to the mask before the Kidash Zek do, I guess," Leo said.

"But that's stupid" Raph argued. "What would we do? We can't guard the thing all the time. They'll just keep trying to steal it."

"And what do you suggest?" asked Leo.

"We need to stop them once and for all," Raph replied. "We need to attack their base."

"And how do we do that?" Don asked.

"Your computer found those creatures before," Raph said. "Use it to find them again."

"Do you think I haven't tried?" Don said. "They aren't in New York-"

"They might not be in the city." Raph interrupted.

"-or the surrounding area." Don finished.

Everyone was silent. "Where else would they be?" Raph asked.

"Maybe they're halfway across the world," Mike suggested.

"That's not funny," said Raph, thinking it had been a joke.

"No, he's right," Leo said. "We've seen them do some pretty interesting things. It's possible they could be capable of teleportation."

"But they've got to bring the creatures back, don't they?" Raph said.

"That's right," Don said. "And when they did, it would show up on my program. It would also show where they came in, so…"

"…we would know where their base is." Raph finished.

"But we still should protect that mask." Leo said.

Everyone looked at Raph. "I suppose we shouldn't let them get their dirty little paws on it," he said.

The plan was formed. That night, they would sneak aboard the train and protect the Relic. Splinter would stay at home and monitor Don's program. Don instructed Splinter on what to do, then the four of them left to catch the train.

* * *

Five Minions stood out in the country. Four Drekkane were nearby. They all were near the railroad, waiting for the train to come. The stars were bright in the sky, but they paid no attention to it. They had a job to do.

This Relic had been the hardest to find so far. Even though their heightened power allowed them to feel where the Relic was, when they had set out to get it, it had started moving. They had been forced to improvise, and followed it to a train station. Using a prect, they found out which train it was on, where it was going, and which track it was using. Then they quickly formed a new plan, and teleported out here in the country.

Soon, they knew, the train would be leaving the station. It would start its journey towards Chicago, speeding across the countryside. But it wouldn't make it. At least, not in one piece.

* * *

The Turtles had sneaked aboard the train using ninjitsu, the art of invisibility. They hid in one of the cargo cars, and waited for the train to move. After a jolt informed them the train was on its way, Don brought out a flashlight so they could all see.

"You don't think they'd be crazy enough to rob a moving train, do you?" Mike asked.

"Sure," Don replied, "but they'd have to stop it first. We'd be able to tell when that happens."

"But what if they wait until the mask is in the museum?" Raph asked. "How are we supposed to guard the thing then? And has anyone thought of how we're going to get home?"

Nobody said anything. "Well, Leo," Raph yelled, "how do you answer that?"

"Why are you asking me?" Leo said.

"You always seem to know the answers," Raph said. "Besides, you were the one who dragged us out here."

"For good reason," Leo replied.

"I doubt that!" Raph shouted. "We can't just keep defending the Relics. That does nothing to solve the real problem! They're cult fanatics, and they won't stop until they die trying, which isn't such a bad idea."

"Raph!"

"Don't 'Raph!' me! I ain't finished yet. The only way to defeat them is to eliminate the brains of the operation. We have to destroy their base! After we do that, everything else will fall apart."

"I know, Raph," Leo said calmly. "But we can't know where their base is until after tonight. Until then, we should keep them from getting any more Relics."

"But how do we know they're aiming for this one?" Raph argued. "Maybe this one is the fourth one they planned to steal. They could be taking the other one right now! In fact, how do we know this mask is a Relic? It could be some piece of junk! This whole plan is stupid and short-sighted, just like our leader."

"Raph, that's enough!" Leo yelled.

"You're right," said Raph. "I've had enough of this. I'm leaving." He walked toward the door of the car.

"Raph, you can't jump from a moving train!" Don said worriedly.

"Just watch me!" Raph said, and kept walking to the door.

"Raph, think!" Mike said.

"I have," answered Raph, "and I've come up with a new plan. We go back home and find where they're hideout is. Then we go there and surprise them when they come back from their robbery. That way we save the Relic and get rid of the problem at its source."

The Turtles thought about this. "You know," said Mike, "he has a point."

"Good," said Raph. "They let's go." He started to open the door, but the train jerked suddenly.

"What was that?" Don asked.

* * *

The Minions watched as the train drew closer. They got in their spots and prepared the windspell. A few tense seconds passed, until one of them gave a shout. They released their windspells in unison right when the engine passed in front of them. It was forced off the tracks and derailed the rest of the train with it.

It would be amusing to see the inferiors try to explain that.

* * *

The Turtles were tossed in the air as the train was flung off the tracks. They crashed into the wall, which was now the floor, and lay there as the other cargo smashed around them. When the train finally ground to a halt and everything had settled, Don looked up to see how the others had fared. He himself had only minor cuts and scrapes, though his shell had taken a beating.

Mike sat nearby, using one of his armbands as a makeshift bandage for the gash on his arm. His shell also had numerous scratches. "Thank goodness I'm a turtle," he commented.

Don looked on the other side of the car to see that Leo had fallen on top of Raph, who unceremoniously shoved him off. "Hey!" Leo said, but Raph ignored him and examined his leg.

"Are you all right?" Don asked.

"I'll live," Raph grunted as he stood up.

"We've got to get out of here," Mike said.

At that moment, the door above them opened. Three Minions looked down at them. "Well well, if it isn't you four again," one of them said.

"What a surprise," Raph said sarcastically.

"We can't have you getting in the way," the Minion said. He spoke a word and wind lifted the Turtles out of the car and flung them away from it.

Raph landed on another overturned car. He looked around at the train wreck. Many of the cars had been smashed up, and he saw several fires. It's a good thing this train wasn't carrying any people, he thought. He turned and saw a Minion standing on the other end of the car.

Raph charged at him, sais drawn. The Minion said a word and wind pushed back against Raph. He struggled towards the Minion, who was laughing at his efforts. It was the most annoying laugh possible, in Raph's view. He inched closer, with the wind growing stronger with every step. Finally, he got within striking distance. He started to swing his fist, but the wind increased sharply and he was tossed back. "Inferior fool," the Minion said. "I was merely playing with you." He continued that terrible laugh as Raph was flung back next to Leo.

"How are you doing?" Leo asked. Raph merely grumbled in reply. "What's your plan to stop them?"

"My plan?" asked Raph. "Aren't you usually the one who comes up with that stuff."

"You seem to think you're so great," Leo replied. "Let's see how you handle this situation."

"Don't you start with me!" Raph threatened.

"It's not as easy as you think it is, is it?"

"Must be why you're so bad at it," Raph shot back. He walked off, leaving Leo in stunned silence.

* * *

Mike was lodged between two cars. He pushed with all his might but couldn't budge them. Then he saw two Drekkane coming toward him. His adrenal gland worked overtime and he freed himself. The Drekkane kept approaching. He ran away and bumped into another one. It raised its arms high and slashed at him, but he dodged and ran a different direction. A fourth Drekkane stepped in front of him, and Mike had no time to react as it uppercut his shell.

He flew up into the air and landed on top of a car. He slid and fell in through the open door. He landed hard on a crate, further scratching his shell. Getting up, he noticed the Drekkane were still following him. He quickly hid behind a crate and watched as they dropped down into the car. The door slid shut behind them, and it became pitch-black.

Mike couldn't see, but he could hear the creatures as they walked around the car, searching for him. Their footsteps echoed, until it seemed like there were a million monsters in there. The atmosphere seemed to weigh down on him, and his attempts to steady his breathing failed. He brought out his nunchakus, but he knew he couldn't fight an enemy he couldn't see. He started backing up, trying to move away from the echoing sounds, and accidentally backed himself into a corner. He was trapped.

The darkness continued to weigh down on him, until he felt he could stand it no longer. Then the door opened and the Drekkane flew out. Mike was relieved at first, then realization sank in. They wouldn't have given up so easily, so that could mean only one thing. They had stolen the Relic and were getting ready to leave! Mike quickly tried to find a way out.

* * *

Meanwhile, Don had landed face down in the grass. He lifted his head to see he had been tossed several hundred feet from the wreck. He got up and ran towards it.

When he had almost gotten there, he heard a laugh behind him. He turned and saw…the train wreck. He looked back behind him and also saw the train wreck. Whichever way he looked, he saw the same thing. He warily drew his bo and asked, "What's going on?"

"Lightspell," someone said behind him. Don turned and saw no one there, just the omnipresent wreck in the distance.

"What's that mean?" Don asked.

"It means," the voice continued, "that I can control what light enters your eyes. I can make any picture appear before you. I can even blind you." To prove his point, Don's vision suddenly turned red. All he could see was red light.

Don's mind raced. The Minion must be sending certain light waves to my eyes, he reasoned. He's continuously sending the same color to keep me from seeing what is really there. I'm effectively blind.

Someone kicked him in the head. Don fell to the ground, raising his bo in a useless attempt at defense. He felt the bo roughly yanked from his hands, and another kick in the head. His mind was swimming, and still all he could see was solid red. The blows continued, and then suddenly stopped.

"I must be leaving now," the voice announced. "We have what we came for." Don's vision returned to normal, and he could see a Minion running towards his accomplices. Don ran after them, but they disappeared before he could get to them. They're probably halfway around the world, he thought miserably, and went to find his brothers.

* * *

Raph stared at the spot where they had stood a moment before. The Minions had disappeared, and had taken the mask with them. This night had been a total waste of time. He and his brothers had been easily beaten. The Minion's remark rang in his head. "I was merely playing with you." He could still hear that annoyingly demeaning laugh.

Leo touched his shoulder, but Raph shook it off. He turned to keep Leo from seeing the tears in his eyes. The whole night's disappointment welled up inside of him. He let out a loud yell, trying to vent the feeling. He took one last look at the train, then started walking back to New York, not caring if his brothers followed. The journey back home was a dreary one.

* * *

The Lower Servant gave the Mask to the High Servant, his head bowed. The High Servant took it, and walked to the Closed Gateway. He set it down in its proper spot. Then he stood back and raised his arms. "I summon you, great Zek," he shouted. "Send forth your power."

The form of a man appeared, and he stepped out of the stone. The Lower Servant gasped as he realized who it was. Others around him had similar reactions. The High Servant bowed, for this was the one subject of the great Zek that was greater than him.

Chalang, the one-who-is-many.

to be continued...


	4. Part IV

**Kidash Zek: Part IV  
By Cere**

Leonardo pulled off the manhole cover and dropped into the sewers. The journey home from the train wreck had been a long one, which seemed longer since nobody spoke. Tensions had run high, with Raph threatening to leave. Leo didn't want to bring it up again, but he felt Raph's actions had been uncalled for.

"So," Leo said as they trudged through the sewers, "I suppose I deserve an apology."

"For what?" Raph asked, still angry over them losing.

"For criticizing my plan," Leo explained. "I was right after all."

Raph grumbled. "My plan still would have worked."

"Jeez, Raph, can't you ever admit you're wrong?" Mike asked.

"I'll admit it when I am," Raph said. "How come everybody always yells at me?"

"Because you give us reason to," Leo replied.

"Oh, like you're perfect?" Raph asked. "I don't think so."

"At least I have a positive attitude," Leo said.

"Just shut up!" Raph yelled. He stopped and pointed at Leo. "I'm sick and tired of you mouthing off to me! You think you're so much better than the rest of us. Your ego's bigger than Manhattan! I've had enough of this. I'm doing what I should have done a long time ago. Goodbye!" He started walking away.

"Raph, get back here!" Mike yelled. His face was furious, an emotion you rarely saw on him. Everyone was quiet. "We're going to see Splinter," he said.

"What can he do?" Raph complained.

"It's better than nothing," Mike answered.

* * *

"Sit down," Splinter said. The Turtles obeyed, each sitting cross-legged on the carpeted floor. "Now, clear your mind, and focus on the anxiety. Try to feel what it is telling you. Determine the problem."

They were quiet for a minute. Leo spoke first. "I'm worried that I'm not a good enough leader."

"I'm trapped," Mike said. "It feels like there's no way to escape."

"Good," commented Splinter. "You are discovering your fears."

"It's out of my control," Don said. "There's nothing I can do to stop them."

"I think that these anxieties have been planted there," Splinter explained. "These feelings get stronger as the bonds holding Zek weaken. However, these are also conflicts you have within yourself. You must find a way to resolve these conflicts, or you can never fight as a team."

Raph growled and stood up. He left the room and put on his trenchcoat. "Where are you going?" Splinter asked.

Raph turned. "Out."

"You need to locate your anxiety first."

Raph growled again. "I'll tell you what it is. They're laughing at me, saying I'm stupid and things like that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be leaving." He walked out of the lair. Splinter sighed and shook his head.

* * *

Raph walked along the streets of New York, grumbling to himself. He kept hearing that stupid laugh, over and over. He felt so small when he heard that laugh, and it made him angry. He had been taking that anger out on Leo, but it didn't help. Raph sighed, wondering how he was ever going to get out of this one.

Something caught his eye. It was a Minion! He was sure of it. Raph stiffened and he reached towards his sai. The figure in the black coat was hurrying somewhere. Maybe I can find out where they're base is, Raph thought as he started following behind.

They walked for a couple blocks, until the Minion turned into a dark alley. Raph suspected a trap, but followed anyway, keeping one hand near his sai. As soon as he entered the alley, something smashed into his head. He was flung against a wall.

* * *

Mike stacked the dishes from dinner next to the sink. Raph still hadn't come back yet, and soon they would have to go out and attack the Kidash Zek's base. Surely Raph wouldn't want to miss that. "Raph's been out a long time," he said.

"He can fend for himself," Don said, absorbed in his computer.

"If he doesn't want to be part of this team, then he can take his negative attitude and leave," Leo said.

"Do you really mean that?" Mike asked.

Raph walked in before Leo could answer. "Sorry I'm late," Raph said. "Did I miss anything?"

"We located their base," Don said. "It's in an abandoned apartment house on the west side of town. We were waiting for you to come back before we left."

"Well," said Raph, "I'm here."

"Let's go," Leo said.

* * *

The Turtles stood across the street from the supposedly vacant building. Don's information said otherwise. "So, how do we get in?" Mike asked.

"Let's check around back," Leo suggested. They sneaked behind the building, keeping to the shadows. They discovered a locked door. Mike took out one of his lock picks and started working on it. The others kept wary watch. "Got it," Mike whispered when he was finished. They crept inside.

If it was dark outside, it was even darker inside. The only light came through the grimy windows. They wandered around the hallways, searching the place. Leo peeked his head around a corner and instantly brought it back. "They're coming," he whispered. He opened the door to a nearby apartment and they hid inside. Footsteps came closer, and the Turtles drew their weapons. Everyone was silent as the footsteps passed the door. They breathed a sigh of relief when the footsteps kept going down the hall.

"I guess this proves they're here," Mike said.

"Now what do we do?" asked Don.

"We do nothing," Raph said.

"What?" Don asked in astonishment.

Raph plopped noisily into a chair that someone had left in the room. "Quiet," Leo whispered. "They'll hear you."

"So?" Raph said. "What do we have to fear from them?"

"Raph, have you gone crazy?" Mike said. "Don't you remember the things we've seen them do the past few days?"

"No, I haven't," Raph answered. "It's just that we have no reason to fear them anymore."

"Care to explain?" Don asked.

"Sure," Raph said. "The fact is, those were not Minions."

"How do you know?" Leo asked.

"Because," Raph said, "I've already gotten rid of all of them."

The Turtles stared at Raph in surprise. "You what?" Don asked.

"I've already beaten them," Raph said. "By myself. While I was out today, I followed one of them to their lair. I surprised them and defeated them all."

"How could you do that?" Mike asked. "Together we couldn't win against them. How could you do it all alone?"

"Because I was alone," Raph explained. "Those other times I was held back by you guys. By myself, I was able to unleash my potential and clobber them."

"Are you saying that we're bad?" Leo asked.

"Are you saying you're not?" Raph shot back.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mike asked angrily.

"I'll tell you what it means," Raph said. He stood up and walked in front of Mike. "It means you're pathetic, Mike. You are the least talented person in this group. Those Drekkane would pick you apart in seconds. And there's no way to hide from them. They can sniff you out. When they find your scent, they follow you. They hunt you down and trap you in a corner, where there's no chance of escape."

"Stop it!" Mike shouted. It looked like the criticism was getting to him.

"Leave him alone," Don ordered.

"Sure," Raph said. He walked in front of Don. "I'll talk about you instead. You think you're so smart, that you know everything. But your science smarts won't help you. They can do things you can't explain, things you can combat. Who knows what they're capable of? They could be invisible and standing behind you right now. There's no way for you to know. It's out of your control."

"Raph, that's enough!" Leo shouted, forgetting about trying to keep quiet.

"I've saved the best for last," Raph said, and stared Leo in the eyes. "You're the worst leader the world has ever seen. Sure, you have the disadvantage of having a bad group, but you make it ten times worse. You have a million flaws."

"I won't let this continue!" Leo interrupted.

"Fine," Raph said. He started walking towards the door. "I'll just leave then."

"Raph, you can't do this!" Mike pleaded.

"I'll do a lot better on my own," Raph said. "I'm going and that's final. You'll get no more help from me." As the other Turtles watched in shock, Raph walked out the door and slammed it behind him.

Don rushed to the door and ran out. "Wait a minute, Raph," Don shouted down the hall.

"Why?" Raph asked.

"Can I ask you one question?" Don asked.

Raph sighed. "I suppose."

"Where was the Minion base?"

"Why should I tell you? It doesn't matter." Raph turned and started walking away.

"So this place is just some deserted building which has no relation to the Kidash Zek?" Don asked.

"As far as I know," Raph answered.

"Then how come my program detected that the Drekkane entered New York in this building?"

Raph looked confused. "What program?"

"The one that detects thermal signatures," Don explained.

Raph thought for a moment, then laughed. "Well, you know, that program is a piece of junk. It's probably the most buggy computer program on the planet."

Leo walked up next to Don. "That's strange," Leo said, "because yesterday you seemed so confident that it would find their base."

"Uh-oh," Raph said.

"Uh-oh?" Mike said questioningly. Now all of them were staring at Raph, who was starting to back away.

"Do you feel okay?" Leo asked.

"I feel fine, inferior," Raph said with an evil grin. Then, before their eyes, Raph changed. His skin changed from green to white. His shell disappeared, and a long black coat replaced it. In a matter of seconds, Raph was gone and a man was standing in his place.

"Where'd you come from?" Mike asked.

The man just smiled as they were knocked unconscious by the Minions that had sneaked up behind them.

* * *

Charles Henderson admired himself in the mirror. It was an ancient family heirloom, one that had been handed down from generation to generation. Now it hung in the family room of his new mansion. Turning away from the glass, he looked out the window to gaze at the night sky.

It was nice out in the country, or at least as close as you could get to it on the East Coast. When he had suggested the idea of moving closer to the business headquarters in New York City, his wife had jumped on the idea. They had built this mansion to be their new home, and he had to admit his wife had done a wonderful job designing the whole place. Of course, she always did a wonderful job. Now she was taking Robert and Sheila to visit relatives in Florida, and he was alone in the house except for his maid, Isabelle.

The doorbell sounded. "I'll get it, Isabelle," he shouted, and went to answer the door. He opened it to find his friend standing outside. "Hello, Henry! It's good to see you. Come in."

They walked into the family room. Charles called to Isabelle to fetch some refreshments, while Henry was busy studying the mirror. "A fine piece of work, isn't it?" Charles asked him.

"Very," Henry replied. Isabelle brought in a tray with some homemade lemonade on it, then left to continue whatever she had been doing. Both men sat down in the luxurious chairs and sipped their lemonade.

"Isabelle makes the best lemonade, doesn't she?" Charles commented.

"Yes," Henry answered.

Charles put down his glass. "So, tell me what brings you here tonight."

"Important matters," Henry said. "But first, could you open the window? The room feels a bit stuffy."

"Of course," Charles said. He walked to the window, and started to open it. He didn't see Henry creep up behind and smash the tray over his head. He fell unconscious to the floor.

"What was that?" Isabelle called from another room.

Henry shapeshifted into Charles. "Nothing," he called in Charles's voice. When he was certain the maid wasn't coming, he walked in front of the mirror. He grabbed it and carried the fourth Relic out of the house.

* * *

Leo groaned and shook his head to try to clear it. The last thing he remembered was going to an abandoned apartment building and Raph changing into someone else. Had it been a dream?

One look around him proved it hadn't. He saw his three brothers tied up next to him. Raph had his back turned to them. Their weapons were gone. They were lying in the corner of a large room that was lit by an eerie blue light. He searched the room and saw several Minions walking around. They were wearing robes instead of their traditional black outfits. At the front of the room was an outline of a doorway drawn on the wall. Many candelabras were spread around the room, each candle burning blue.

He heard groans as his brothers came to. "Where are we?" Mike asked groggily. The guard standing next to them didn't answer.

The man that had been Raph walked over to them. "Ah, you are awake," he said.

"Who and what are you?" Don asked.

"I am Chalang," the man said. "You may have realized this already, but I am a shapeshifter. I can assume any humanoid shape at will."

"You were pretending to be Raph," Leo said.

"Correct," Chalang said. "You would have been completely fooled if I hadn't made that error. I've been a few hundred years out of practice."

"What's going on?" Mike asked.

"So many questions," Chalang said. "Watch and learn, inferior." He left them and talked to a person with a red mark on his robe. The conversation could barely be heard.

"You grace us with your presence," the man in the robe said with his head bowed.

"But I would still be trapped if it hadn't been for you," Chalang said.

"We are always willing to serve."

"Are you ready to bring the Mirror to Navand?"

"Of course! The moment is finally at hand when the great Zek will be released from his prison and made free to rule the world." The man gestured towards the Turtles. "What should we do with the animal-people?"

"Bring them along. They might make a good sacrifice to Zek."

The Lower Servant motioned to two Minions. They walked over the grab the Turtles.

At that moment, Raph suddenly broke free from his ropes. He punched the Minions and quickly freed his brothers. "How'd you do that?" Mike asked.

"I chewed through the ropes," Raph answered.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Raph said. "It tasted terrible."

The Turtles, now free from their ropes, turned to face the Minions. Don ran towards where their weapons were stacked. "Here," he said as he tossed them to his brothers.

Raph grabbed his sais and turned to face a Minion. He said a word, and wind started pushing Raph back. Not this again, Raph thought. Deciding not to let the same thing happen as last time, he dug his sais into the floor. The Minion watched with surprise as Raph pulled himself along. The wind was relentless, but Raph held on to his sais. Finally, he reached the Minion and tripped him. He fell to the floor, and the wind stopped. Raph turned to face someone else.

Mike was swinging his nunchakus when he saw two Drekkane approaching him. Fear gripped him as they forced him into a corner. The creatures stalked closer as Mike was trying frantically to think of something. Their dark eyes stared at him, which gave him an idea. He threw one of his nunchakus at the Drekkane's eye. The monster shrieked and backed off, clutching its eye. Mike did the same thing to the other one, then went to fight somebody else.

Don gripped his bo as he faced a Minion. The man spoke a word and Don's vision turned to red. Not again, Don thought. Someone kicked him and he fell to the floor. He cleared his head and tried to think of something. Another kick came, and he swung his bo in the direction it had come from. He heard a thump as someone hit the ground. His vision returned to normal as the Minion lost his concentration. Don blocked someone else's kick, and went to keep fighting.

Leonardo ducked as a fireball flew over his head. He turned in the direction of the shot and blocked another one with his swords. The Minion was about to fire another one when Raph hit him from behind. "I was going to get rid of him," Leo said. Raph just shrugged.

"Enough!" Chalang shouted. The Lower Servant spoke several words and suddenly the Turtles were encased in ice. Only their heads were uncovered. Raph swore and tried to break free, but it was no use.

"That's better," Chalang said. He turned toward the door drawn on the wall. "Let's prepare to leave."

The Lower Servant gave Chalang a mirror. Chalang nodded, and the Lower Servant turned towards the door. Everyone in the room was silent as he said several strange words. The outline glowed, and the space inside the doorway turned black. The Turtles watched in surprise as Chalang stepped right through it. The rest of the Minions walked through it as well, and the Turtles were helpless as they too were carried into the black void.

to be continued...


	5. Part V

**Kidash Zek: Part V  
By Cere**

Splinter felt a strong disturbance. His eyes shot open and he glanced around the empty lair. Something bad was going to happen. He looked at the clock and noticed it was almost morning. His students had not yet come back. Hopefully they were not in any danger. He sighed, and continued his meditations.

* * *

The Turtles looked around at their surroundings. Their frozen bodies had passed right through the blackness and ended up in an enormous cavern. All light came from a hole in the ceiling far above. The light shone down on an enormous black pillar. All around the cavern were many Minions, everyone wearing robes. Looking around, Leo could see other outlined doorways drawn on the walls.

He turned his attention to the black pillar. All the Minions seemed to be focused on it. It was twice the height of a man, and as thick as a tree trunk. Leo could see several objects lying around it. With a shock, he noticed they were the stolen items.

Chalang, carrying the mirror, walked to a man standing next to the pillar. The Turtles were brought with him, their weapons taken from them. The man had a red symbol on his robe, the same sword and goblet symbol at the crime scenes. With a bow, the man accepted the mirror. "Greetings, High Servant," Chalang said in a loud voice. The Minions in the cavern quieted down in anticipation.

"You are gracious, Chalang, for giving us the final Relic," the High Servant said.

"And you are gracious, for keeping the faith long enough for us to be freed," Chalang said. There were approving murmurs from the crowd.

Chalang turned to address the crowd. "But before we free Zek," he said, "I present to you the animal-people, those who thought they were powerful enough to defeat the great Kidash Zek."

"This doesn't look good," Don whispered.

"These will be the first victims of Zek's wrath after he is released," Chalang shouted. The crowd cheered.

Chalang turned to face the Turtles, lying helpless on the ground. "Welcome to Navand," he said. "Prepare to meet your doom."

"Wait!" Mike cried.

The crowd murmured in bewilderment. "For what?" Chalang asked.

Mike searched for an answer. "I don't know," he said. "It sounded like a good thing to say." The crowd laughed at him. Raph growled.

An idea struck Don. "We don't think you're so great," he said, sounding more confident than he really felt.

"What?" Chalang asked, bending inches away from Don's face. "After all the amazing things we did, things your inferior 'science' cannot possibly explain?"

"I don't understand it," Don said, buying time. "It has no meaning. I mean, why would a stupid sword be powerful enough to free Zek?"

Chalang leaned back. "You wouldn't understand, inferior."

"Try me," Don said. His eyes dared Chalang to continue.

Chalang sighed and turned to the crowd. "What do you think?" he asked.

There were many approving shouts from the crowd. "They're going to die anyway," one Minion said.

"Let them be awed by the power of the legend before their death," another said.

"Then it is decided," Chalang said. He turned to face the Turtles.

"Hundreds of years ago," he started, "Zek was imprisoned by the Saheer." The mention of the name brought negative rumblings from the crowd. "He was trapped in Nesson, and the only entrance was through the Closed Gateway." He pointed to the black pillar. "It could only be opened by the four objects held most holy: the Sword, the Goblet, the Mask, and the Mirror. These four Relics were scattered across the world in an attempt to keep us from retrieving them. Of course, this attempt has failed.

"The Sword and the Goblet represent the power given to us by Zek. With the Sword, we can chop down our enemies. With the Goblet, we can pour out poison upon those who oppose us. We will use these powers to rule!" There were triumphant shouts at this.

"The Mask and the Mirror," Chalang continued, "represent the traits of the inferiors. They make masks and try to hide their true self. The Mirror does not lie and shows back all their flaws. These separate the inferiors from us, the chosen of Zek.

"Now do you understand?" Chalang asked them.

"It all makes sense now," Raph said sarcastically. "You're a bunch a raving lunatics!"

"I knew you wouldn't understand," Chalang said. He walked next to the black pillar, still holding the Mirror. "Now the time is at hand!" he shouted. The room grew silent. Raph growled and tried to break free from the ice.

Chalang placed the Mirror down next to the Closed Gateway. He stepped back and raised his arms. "I summon you, great Zek," he shouted. "Now you are free."

The Turtles watched helpless as the Closed Gateway began to glow. Soon the whole room was filled with golden light that radiated from the pillar. Chalang turned to face them, his eyes wild. "Now do you realize you cannot win?" he shouted.

"No!" Raph yelled angrily. "We could kick your butt any day!"

"Really?" Chalang asked.

"Raph, shut up!" Mike whispered frantically.

"Go, then," Chalang said. The Turtles were picked up and tossed into the Closed Gateway.

* * *

They landed face down. Leo looked around and noticed they were lying on black stone. He couldn't turn his head far enough to see anything else. "Nice going, Raph," Mike said.

"Be quiet," Don said.

Suddenly, the ice holding them was shattered. The Turtles jumped up and observed their surroundings. They were standing on a large, black floating platform. The sky was a constantly changing swirl of colors. In the middle of the platform was a black pillar like the Closed Gateway. "I'll bet that's how we get back," Don said, pointing to it.

"If I let you," a booming voice said. The Turtles turned to see a large black cloud. With a shock, they realized the voice was coming from the cloud.

"What are you?" Don asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" the cloud said. "I am Zek."

The cloud was shaped in the form of a man. Only the top half was visible, the rest hidden below the platform. There were horns on its head, and it had glowing red eyes. No mouth could be seen when it spoke. It looked much like a large black demon, which in fact it probably was.

"What are you going to do with us?" Mike asked in a small voice.

"I suppose you wish to stop my reign of the world," Zek said.

"You bet," Raph said angrily.

Zek bent closer to them. "You're a feisty one, aren't you," it said. "Maybe I can have some fun with you." Zek leaned back and laughed, the laughter echoing around them. It waved a hand, and the Turtles disappeared.

* * *

Mike reappeared in a dark hallway lit only by blue burning torches on the walls. He walked to one end and found a doorway. He turned the knob, but the door was locked. He felt the damp stone around it to check for weaknesses. A loud noise distracted him, and he turned around. The hallway turned a corner, and around it came a large knight. It was covered in heavy armor that clanked as it walked, and it held a large sword. Seeing Mike, it charged, sword raised.

Mike dodged the glistening sword and ran down the hallway. He turned the corner in hopes of finding another door, but met only a solid wall. He turned and quickly dodged another swing by the knight. Mike ran back down the corridor, desperately trying to think of something. He was trapped with a raging knight, and it looked like there was no way out.

* * *

Don found himself in a dark tower. He looked at the ceiling high above him. There was no opening except one small window many stories above him. Through it, he could see the strange sky of this alternate dimension. Nesson, he thought it had been called.

There was a golden table in front of him. On it were two black goblets, each full with some strange liquid. Don bent his face close to them, then backed off, repulsed by the smell.

"Like it?" Zek's voice asked. The sound seemed to come from the walls. "It is the smell of death. Yours, to be exact.

"One of the goblets contains a firepoison. Drink it, and your body temperature will rise until you roast. The other goblet has icepoison in it. Drink that, and your body temperature will plummet until no heat remains inside you."

"What if I don't want to drink any of them?" Don asked defiantly.

"Then you will stay here," the disembodied voice said, "and die of starvation. The choice is yours."

Don looked at the goblets and tried to think of a plan. There had to be some way out of this. This situation couldn't be completely out of his control.

* * *

Raph appeared inside a small room. Everything was painted white. Before him was a door and a table with two objects on it. Raph went to examine them when he heard a voice behind him. He turned to see Chalang standing there. Raph started to charge, but Chalang's urgent voice stopped him.

"Don't do it!" Chalang shouted. "If we touch each other, we'll both be instantly vaporized!"

"That's stupid," Raph said, though heeding the warning.

"It's to insure that there is no cheating," Chalang said.

"Cheating at what?"

"At the contest, of course. The contest to determine if you live."

"What's the contest?"

"All in good time," Chalang said. He pointed to the objects on the table. "First you must choose a mask."

Raph walked closer to examine the objects. They certainly were masks, though they were made of some strange clear material that glowed and shimmered as he looked at them. It seemed like light was flowing through them.

"These are special masks," Chalang said. "If you take the one on the left, it will give you increased intelligence. If instead you choose the one on the right, your strength will nearly double."

Raph hesitated. "And I have to pick one?"

"You will take one and I the other."

Raph eyed the masks for a moment, then picked up the one on the right and put it on his face. Chalang took the other and did the same.

Raph was almost overwhelmed. He could feel the increased power flowing through his body. It felt wonderful! But something was missing.

Chalang was laughing. "Feel different?" he said. "You are a fool to think everything is freely given. These masks do not give, but take. While you have increased strength, you got that from me. And this mask has given me your intellect! You are now stupider than a rock!"

Raph could tell this was right. He realized he couldn't name the thirty states of whatever country he lived in. He didn't even know what a country was! Raph growled and started stalking towards Chalang.

"I must remind you," Chalang said, "that if you touch me you will vaporize. I believe your diminished mind can at least comprehend that."

Raph growled again but stood still. "Excellent," Chalang said. "Now, on to the challenge." He led the way through the door into another white room. Raph looked and saw a piece of wood painted in different colors placed on top of four legs. The piece of wood had different colored smaller pieces of wood on it. It looked familiar, but Raph couldn't think of what it was.

"You are challenged," Chalang said, "to a game of checkers."

* * *

Leo had been transported to a different floating platform. It was as clear as glass, and when he looked through it could see that this place had no bottom. The multicolored sky continued on forever. Leo turned and saw the Zek had appeared before him.

"I present to you the simplest challenge," Zek said. It brought up its hand and placed a mirror on the platform. "All you must do is look in this mirror."

Leo walked closer to it, at such an angle that he couldn't see his own reflection. It was a full-length mirror and was cradled in a golden stand. It didn't look too threatening, but he knew that it couldn't be harmless. Was it a trap?

Leo finally walked up right next to it. Cautiously, he peeked in it to see his reflection.

What he saw horrified him! He could see every single flaw in him! Every stupid mistake he'd ever made was relived! All his terrible secrets were exposed right before his eyes! He tried to turn away but couldn't. Instead, the onslaught continued. He felt his mind breaking under all this pressure! He withered, yet the unrelenting stream of imperfections would not let him go! He felt so small and utterly crushed by his inferiority. He slumped to the ground, with Zek laughing.

* * *

Mike kept frantically dodging the knight's strikes. Though it was heavily armored, it wasn't slow. Mike barely had time to think. The walls seemed to close in on him as he scurried like a rat trying to save himself. He tried again to break through the door, but to no avail.

The knight tried another running attack, but Mike rolled between its legs. The knight looked around in confusion, trying to find where the turtle had gone. Mike couldn't help it. He started laughing. It seemed to help clear his head. He realized that he was overreacting, letting his feelings overwhelm him. He needed to lighten up. The idea that Mike, the most easy-going of the Turtles, needed to lighten up struck him as very funny. He laughed again.

By now, the knight had located him again. It rushed and swung at him, but missed as Mike dodged. "Strike one!" he said. The knight attacked again, again missed. "Strike two!" Mike called. The knight, now very angry, aimed a blow at Mike's neck. He ducked and ran away. "Strike three!" The knight tried to cut Mike's leg off, but he jumped. "Strike four? Dude, I think you ran out of strikes a long time ago. You can stop now." The knight didn't listen.

Mike ran back to the heavy wooden door. It seemed like the only way out. He needed a way to break through it, but he didn't have any weapons. The knight aimed another blow at him, giving him an idea.

Mike stood right next to the door. "Yoo-hoo, over here!" he called. "Come and get me!"

The knight looked at him, then charged. It held the sword out in a blow to drive it through Mike's chest. But Mike ducked just in the nick of time, and the knight instead ran right through the door. It crashed through it and fell out of sight.

Mike looked outside at the weird sky. He stepped out of the doorway and onto a walkway that ran suspended in midair. It continued off into the distance. Seeing nothing else to do, Mike followed it.

* * *

Don stood in front of the goblets, still puzzling over his quandary. He had yet to think of a plan. "Which one is which?" he asked, trying to find more information.

"Find out for yourself," the bodiless voice of Zek answered.

Hesitantly, Don reached and put a finger in one of the liquids. The effect was instantaneous. It felt like his finger was on fire! He blew on it, but that didn't work. The voice laughed at him as he tried to think of something. On a whim, he put it in the other liquid. It immediately cooled down.

Don examined his finger, which showed no signs of damage. He then turned to the goblets. How did they work? Were they really magic? Did they really affect whatever they touched? It gave him an idea.

"I guess I have no choice," he said. He picked up the goblet with the icepoison in it. He brought it closer to his face, eyeing the liquid. It quivered as he held it. He thought he could feel Zek tensely waiting to see what would happen. Slowly, he brought it up to his lips.

Then, he suddenly flung it against the wall. The freezing cold liquid splattered on the stone, and he could see ice forming. Zek's voice shouted in outrage, but Don paid no attention. He kicked as hard as he could at the wall, and the super-cold stone broke easily. Don was free.

He stepped outside, and looked around. The tower he had just left was floating in the air, and he noticed a walkway stretching out that also was apparently floating. He followed it away from the tower.

* * *

Raph knew he was in trouble. At least he knew that much. He was supposed to play a game of checkers (whatever that was). There was no way he could win. He had no idea what the rules were. He couldn't even count the pieces!

Chalang laughed at him. Raph growled but did nothing. There was nothing he could do. "Why so angry?" Chalang asked. "It's just a simple game of checkers. I'm not that good at it anyway. Actually, I guess I am now." He laughed some more. "You should have known better than to mess with the Kidash Zek. I knew you would pick the mask of strength and lose your intelligence. I knew that I could then easily beat you at a simple intellectual game. You inferior fool."

Raph lost it. The anger was raging inside of him. He wanted so much to wipe that nasty grin off Chalang's face. He roared and picked up the table. All the pieces fell off and clattered on the floor. "What are you doing?" Chalang asked in surprise.

"I'm not touching you," Raph said, and brought the table down on Chalang's head with all his might. Chalang slumped to the floor, all the sense knocked out of him.

Raph broke off one of the table legs and used it to pry the mask off Chalang's face. Raph felt all the knowledge come back to him. Never had he been so grateful for it. Raph used his increased power to break down a wall, and pulled the mask off his own face. He didn't want to have anything that had to do with the Kidash Zek.

Outside the hole he had made in the wall, there was a walkway that ran off into the air. Raph followed it.

* * *

Leo was still shriveling. He knew, knew with all his heart, that he was a nobody. He didn't deserve to live. The mirror had told him so.

He felt someone shaking him. He rose out of his misery and saw Raph holding him. "Snap out of it," Raph said, looking worried.

Leo gradually began to think clearer. He saw the other Turtles kneeling close to him. "How did you guys get here?" he asked in a soft voice.

"We followed the walkways," Raph said. Leo turned and saw four walkways leading to this platform. Where did the fourth one go? He didn't care. He didn't matter anymore.

"Leo, you've got to come with us," Raph pleaded. "We're leaving here."

"He can't leave," Zek said.

"He's right," Leo said. "I'm a nobody. Just like you said."

"No, you're not," Raph said.

"You were right, Raph," Leo said. "I don't deserve anything."

"I was wrong," Raph said. He turned away. "In fact, I was a real blockhead. I'm like that sometimes. I say stupid things when I'm mad. But you never believed anything I said anyway. You were smarter than that."

Leo felt his strength returning. "Do you mean that?"

Raph looked Leo in the eyes. "Yes."

Leo let Raph lift him up. "How did you guys get here, anyway?" Leo asked.

Each of the Turtles told how they had beaten their challenges. Leo gained confidence the more he heard, and when they were all done, he looked like his old self. He also looked like he had a plan.

"Let's go, Leo," Mike said.

"I'm afraid that's impossible," Zek said.

"Guys, I can handle this," Leo said, and walked towards Zek.

"What are you going to do, inferior?" Zek said. "Nothing you can do will stop me. It's hopeless."

"I think it's you who are in trouble," Leo said, strength in his voice. "I see now the mistake you made."

"Mistake?" Zek asked, as if the idea was the most ludicrous thing in the world.

"Yes," Leo said. "All the Relics, the symbols you chose for yourself to represent evil, were in fact good. Yes, the sword can be used to kill the enemy, but it can also be used to free the wrongly imprisoned and to defend the innocent. Yes, the goblet can pour out poison, but it can also pour out life-sustaining water. Yes, the mask can be used to hide oneself, but it also can be used to express yourself in ways not possible otherwise."

Leo looked triumphant. "And yes, the mirror will show back your flaws, but it will also show your strengths. You just have to look for them." With this sentence, he looked into the mirror. But this time he knew the secret, and he saw all of himself, not just the flaws. He looked into the mirror and saw himself for what he was.

The Turtles cheered as Leo walked back to them. But Zek was not finished. "You still haven't won," it said. "You are still trapped in my prison, while I am free to escape and rule the world!"

"Not yet," Leo said. "I have a challenge for you."

"What?" Zek asked in disbelief.

Leo walked towards the mirror. "I am a complete person, but you are merely a spirit, and an evil one at that. So I wonder, what do you see in the mirror?" he asked, and turned it around so Zek could see it.

Zek let out a wail and tried to cover its eyes, but it was too late. It had looked into the mirror, and seen itself. It had seen all its evil traits, but there was no good to balance it out. The Turtles watched in amazement as the cloud dissipated into nothing, and the wail faded into silence. Then they cheered.

They walked up the walkway and arrived at the original platform. Without looking back, they entered the pillar and left Nesson behind.

* * *

The Turtles appeared back in the lair of the Kidash Zek. They tensed, ready for a battle, but nothing happened. The Kidash Zek were wondering around aimlessly. They had a blank look in their eyes, as if they had lost the thing most important to them. "Our power," one of them moaned.

"It's gone," Don said. "Zek was the source of their power, but now it's gone. They're powerless."

The Turtles picked up the Relics from around the Closed Gateway, and headed for the wall. Nobody stopped them. They stepped through the glowing doorway, which fortunately still worked, and came back to New York.

* * *

Charles Henderson felt awful. He had just lost the most important thing his family owned. The mirror had belonged to his family for generations. The police had been unable to help, and now he sat alone in the room where it had once been.

There was a knock on the door, and he rose to answer it. He looked outside, but no one was there. Puzzled, he looked down. There was the mirror! His heart leapt with joy, and he carefully picked it up and brought it into the house, shouting to Isabelle that he had found it!

The Turtles watched from the shadows as the door closed, then left to return the remaining Relics and head for home.

* * *

Splinter looked up when his sons returned home. "How did your adventure go?" he asked them.

"We defeated Zek," Leo reported. "The Kidash Zek won't be causing any more trouble."

"Boy, I'm starving," Mike said. "Can't we talk over supper?"

"There's some leftover pizza in the fridge," Splinter said.

Mike immediately rushed off to get it. "All right!"

"We want some too, Mike," Raph said, running after him. "If you eat it all before we can get some, I'll kick you halfway to Timbuktu."

Splinter could tell that Raph's threat was only a joke and there was no menace behind it. "I see that things have returned to normal," he said. "The tension among you is gone."

"I know," Leo said. "We had to work things out against Zek."

"How so?" Splinter asked.

Mike and Raph entered carrying the food. While they ate, the Turtles told Splinter of the challenges and how they had overcome them.

"I am proud of you all," Splinter said. "You performed wonderfully."

"It seems to me that our problems had been planted in our heads by the Kidash Zek," Raph said, "and weren't real at all."

"The power of the Kidash Zek had an oppressing affect on your minds," explained Splinter. "That was what you felt."

"What seems so ironic," Don said, "is that by bringing us to fight face-to-face, Zek actually helped us out. He gave us something physical to fight. Otherwise, the invisible affects of their power might have torn us apart."

"Whatever the explanation," Raph said, "I'm just grateful that this is all over."

"Indeed," Leo said. "Indeed."

* * *

Chalang passed through the Closed Gateway. He looked with disdain at the Kidash Zek wandering around aimlessly. "Control yourselves!" he snapped. That got their attention. "I am ashamed of you, losing hope so quickly. That is just like the inferiors. The Kidash Zek have gone through hardship before, and we have triumphed!"

"We are sorry," the High Servant said, "but the sudden loss of our power was pure torment."

"That is understandable," Chalang said. "I look kindly upon you, and I swear that I will not rest until your power has been restored!"

There were many cheers to that. Chalang smiled, planning what would happen next. The Gateways would still work, being tied to the ancient power of the earth. He would use those to travel to New York and teach those animal-people about their wrath. No inferior would defeat the Kidash Zek.


End file.
